VAR – a source of speed
With the running of one of the greatest sprint races in the world, the Group 1 July Cup, as well as top local sprint, the Gr1 Mercury Sprint, it is a good time to look back at some of the breed’s most influential sprinting sires.
Sprinters have made their mark all over the world, and include some of the hottest stallions in the world. Speed horses also continue to make their mark in South Africa.
One of South Africa’s best stallions is former Gr1 winning speedster, Var, while other leading speed merchants to succeed at stud in this country include Harry Hotspur, Golden Thatch and Drum Beat, and more recently, leading SA sires Jet Master, Jallad and Captain Al, all of whom won major local sprint races before retiring to outstanding stud careers. Harry Hotspur’s sire Mexico II made an indelible impression through a number of top sprinting sons and daughters, and also became broodmare sire of the champions and Gr1 winners Senor Santa, Blushing Star and Signor Amigo.
Starspangledbanner
Starspangledbanner, currently the hottest first crop sire in Europe, was an exceptional sprinter and was sired by a top sprinter in Choisir. To date, Starspangledbanner (who has had to overcome fertility issues) has had four first crop winners including a pair of Royal Ascot winners in The Wow Signal (Gr2 Coventry Stakes) and Anthem Alexander (Gr2 Queen Mary Stakes).
Like his sire Choisir, Starspangledbanner won one of Europe’s top sprint races – the Gr1 Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Pivotal and Oasis Dream are two outstanding sires, both of whom made their name for themselves on the track as top class sprinters. Between them, Oasis Dream and Pivotal won two runnings of the Gr1 Nunthorpe Stakes (1000m), Gr1 Middle Park Stakes (1200m) and Gr1 July Cup (1200m).
At stud, Pivotal and Oasis Dream have proved consistently successful, and both rank among Europe’s very best sires. To date, the pair have left behind nearly 200 stakes winners, and Pivotal alone is the sire of no fewer than 24 Grade/Group 1 winners, including his sire sons France’s leading first crop sire Siyouni and proven speed sire Kyllachy.
Oasis Dream
Oasis Dream, in turn, is represented by two sire sons on GB/UK’s leading first crop sires log – including Showcasing, who is currently the region’s leading first crop sire by prize money.
Oasis Dream is by another July Cup winner in the form of Green Desert, who has left behind a tremendous legacy through his sons and daughters, throughout the world. An exceptional sire of 14 Gr1 winners, Green Desert’s successful sire sons include Oasis Dream, Invincible Spirit, Cape Cross, and Volksraad. His legendary grandson, Sea The Stars, has set the tracks alight this year with his first 3yos including the classic winners Taghrooda (Investec Oaks) and Sea The Moon (German Derby).
Australia has long been a nation famed for its production of outstanding sprinters and two of that country’s top sires currently active at stud are the champion sprinters Exceed And Excel and Fastnet Rock. They are, in turn, sons of the great Danehill, himself a Gr1 winning sprinter. Danehill, a multiple champion sire, ranks as one of the greatest sires in history, with his plethora of champion sire sons including Danehill Dancer (sire of Choisir), Redoute’s Choice, Flying Spur and Dansili, to name a few.
Another legendary sire, who was a very talented sprinter, was Mr Prospector, while fellow US legendary stallion, Bold Ruler, was named Champion Sprinter in 1957. Another great US champion, Dr Fager, was named Champion Sprinter in 1967 and topped the sires list in 1971.
The ill-fated Ahonoora is another case of a classy sprinter who exceeded his racetrack success at stud. Ahonoora sired one Epsom Derby winner in Dr Devious, and is the broodmare sire of another in New Approach. The latter is now a leading young sire, while Ahonoora is also damsire of world leading sire Cape Cross. Ahonoora left behind the successful sires Indian Ridge and Inchinor.
Gold Bridge (photo: sporthorse-data.com)
The success of top sprinters at stud is not simply a modern day phenomenon however. Gold Bridge, born in 1929, was an exceptional sprinter, who won the King’s Stand Stakes twice as well as the Nunthorpe Stakes – both races are classified as Group 1s today. He became a highly successful speed influence, with his progeny including Golden Cloud (Nunthorpe Stakes), Vilmorin (King’s Stand Stakes) and Denturius. His son Vilmorin is the broodmare sire of successful sire Zeddaan, while Golden Cloud sired top sprinter Gratitude.
Gold Bridge is also the sire of one of history’s greatest broodmares Rough Shod II – ancestress of Sadler’s Wells, Nureyev, Fairy King, Thatch, Blame and Archipenko – to name but a few.
Another top-class sprinting sire was the brilliant 2yo Panorama. Panorama, whose daughters included legendary broodmare, Horama, produced numerous top performers including Careless Nora (Nunthorpe Stakes), Grande Corniche (Champion 2yo Filly), classic producers Panastrid and Dryad, The Web (Phoenix Plate), and Whistler (Coventry Stakes).
Former Epsom Derby winner Hard Ridden (1958) was sired by July Cup hero Hard Sauce, while former Breeders Cup Sprint winner, and champion sprinter, Speightstown, today ranks as one of North America’s best stallions.
Sing Sing (photo: sporthorse-data.com)
The top-class sprinter, Sing Sing, was another speed influence to have really left his mark on the breed. Not only is his son, Averof, the sire of dominant South African champion sire Foveros, Sing Sing’s other influential sire sons include African Sky, Manacle, Song (sire of the recently deceased Horse Of The Year Lochsong), and Mummy’s Pet. The latter was a top sire of 2yos and speed horses, with his progeny including Aragon (damsire of SA’s leading first crop sire Lateral), Mister Wonderful (Gr1 American Handicap), Mummy’s Game (Temple Stakes), Petorius (sire of SA Gr1 winner Sapieha), brilliant 2yo Precocious, Reprimand and Runnett (Gr2 Vernons Sprint Cup).
It is interesting to note that Saturday’s Mercury Sprint winner, Fly By Night, is inbred to King’s Stand Stakes winner and exceptional sire Drum Beat.
